INTERVIEW WITH DUFOURNIER GROUP

DUFOURNIER has been founded in 1999 by Mr. Dufournier and is tire test specialist. With their unique indoor testing facilities and high-technology testing machines, DUFOURNIER offers its customers the highest tests quality at the best price.

Interview with Arnaud Dufournier, CEO of DUFOURNIER Group.

Easy Engineering: What are the main areas of activity of the company?

Arnaud Dufournier: There are three complementary activities:

  • DUFOURNIER Industries:  Manufacturing of testing machine, maintenance and calibration;
  • DUFOURNIER Testing:  Tire Testing in its E2TC (European Tire Test Center) proving ground;
  • DUFOURNIER Technologies:  Tire performance analysis and modeling.

E.E: What’s the news about new products?

A.D: New developments concern the capability of the company to test any passenger car and utilities tire (C1/C2) in indoor condition all over the year.

Another new development is the skid-trailer (industrial machine that can test tires on real ground) for Trucks and Bus tires (C3).

E.E: What are the ranges of products?

A.D: Our machines range is very large, it provides the capability to do any test for the main tire performance adhesion, rolling resistance, behavior or wear for C1/C2 and C3 tires.

Arnaud Dufournier, CEO of DUFOURNIER Group

E.E: At what stage is the market where you are currently active?

A.D: Depending on the region, the market is mature such as Europe or under very fast growing like in Asia, South America and Middle East.

E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?

A.D: The main trends are:

  • more normative demand such as UNECE R117 for quality,
  • more demand focused on rolling resistance with normative or real-life testing in accordance with full consumption reduction and electric vehicle.

E.E: What are the most innovative products marketed?

A.D: AI3T (Automated Indoor Tire Test Track) which is a unique machine that is made to test automatically tires on a real ground in indoor conditions.

The benefits are fantastic: permanency of the service all the year, a quality level unknown, no external or operator impact, very high reactivity and reduction of costs.

E.E: What estimations do you have for the rest of 2022?

A.D: The trend is good due to the Asian and Middle East market, with some difficulties in term of electronic parts supplying.